A Savannah for Southern NSW

[bobcharl]

Hi All,

 

Just a brief entry after a long absence from the site.Got the tail feathers painted and fitted without any dramas. As I mentioned earlier the windscreen was a different matter.Eventually got the thig on in a manner which will mean it serves its purpose. A remaining problem was to fit the cover strip between the screen and roof. The guru advised me to keep the uppr profile of the screen as flat as possible to aid the fitting of the piece that goes between the wing root and the screen. After lots of trouble I think I got close to it, but I am still not looking forward to fitting them. Been wiring and plumbing the motor and all was going well untill I cam to the oil pressure sender.Because I bought my kit much earlier than the motor, my motor was supplied with a sender not compatable with the VDO gauges in the kit. Only gauges suitable are larger and of different appearance and would hav spoilt the panel, so have decided to go back to a VDO sender. Has anyone had trouble with these?End result is I have a Honeywell sender worth about$250 on the web going real cheap if anyony is interested.Have had a quick trial fit of the engine cowling and the best I can say is it fits wher it touches, yet touches where it should not. Have got a fibreglassing guy in town putting on the exhaust lumps. Next step is to mount the wings so I can check out the fuel system. Wonder what happened my "brief" entry?

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

[rankamateur]

Nice Rudder Bob.

 

 

[Riley]

Hey Bob

 

Got a real kick out of your description "fits where it touches and touches where it shouldn't". Guess we've all been there at some time or another. Hang in and it'll happen. cheers Riley

 

 

[bobcharl]

Just a quick querie someone may be able to help with. I notice some have used a fastener with a diamond shaped backing plat to join the top and bottom of th engine cowl.(don't know what they are called but same as a dzeus fastener but with the addition of a backing plate and a spring). Question: how is the plate fastened to allow the two inside surfaces to meet but still look good outside. A countersunk rivet set from the inside would work but would look crap outside.

 

Bob

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Hi Bob

 

I am just going through this now with my new cowl after the nose smack...I have gone with Camloc fasteners the 2600-05S. These were much easier to fit than the original Zlock ones I used...which were NOT the ones supplied in the kit. The camloc type are the same as used on the inspection cover under the fuselage....simple to fit to the cowl and work a treat

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

http://www.afscamloc.net/xua/downloads/2600%20&%202700%20Series.pdf

[eightyknots]

Hi All,Just a brief entry after a long absence from the site.Got the tail feathers painted and fitted without any dramas. As I mentioned earlier the windscreen was a different matter.Eventually got the thig on in a manner which will mean it serves its purpose. A remaining problem was to fit the cover strip between the screen and roof. The guru advised me to keep the uppr profile of the screen as flat as possible to aid the fitting of the piece that goes between the wing root and the screen. After lots of trouble I think I got close to it, but I am still not looking forward to fitting them. Been wiring and plumbing the motor and all was going well untill I cam to the oil pressure sender.Because I bought my kit much earlier than the motor, my motor was supplied with a sender not compatable with the VDO gauges in the kit. Only gauges suitable are larger and of different appearance and would hav spoilt the panel, so have decided to go back to a VDO sender. Has anyone had trouble with these?End result is I have a Honeywell sender worth about$250 on the web going real cheap if anyony is interested.Have had a quick trial fit of the engine cowling and the best I can say is it fits wher it touches, yet touches where it should not. Have got a fibreglassing guy in town putting on the exhaust lumps. Next step is to mount the wings so I can check out the fuel system. Wonder what happened my "brief" entry?

Bob

 

[ATTACH]26437[/ATTACH][ATTACH]26438[/ATTACH]

Onya! Bob.

 

 

[bobcharl]

G'day all,

 

Christmas and New Year all out of the way and back at my project, but of recent times its been so hot in my workshop that only mornings are being worked.

 

Mounted the wings and connected up the fuel system and all worked fine. Flow to the 6lt tank is excellent even at very low fuel levels. I did have concerns about this, but having tried it I am extremely confident.Changes between tanks in all sorts of empty/full combos works well.

 

One big step forward : fired the Rotax up a few days ago. First start only required a couple of seconds cranking, now it only takes a bump on the starter.Have pitched the prop and done a few run ups and all seems great. I know its all happened many times before, but I got quite a buzz out of all this.

 

Decided to remove the wings for painting and it was then that the gremlins moved in.Wings were off and stored and fuselage back in workshop and decided it was too hot for further work so closed the doors and left. Next morning I was dismayed to find the windscreen shattered down the right hand side. Seems the heat,(42 that day,no doubt more in the workshop) had expanded the fuel in the return pipe and dribbled it down the screen causing the shattering. You could say I was shattered too, because I had spent such a lot of time fitting the thing, and was quite pleased with the outcome. I was able to source some polycarbonate locally which I am assured is of the same specs as the original and have prepared a new one using the old one as a template.Still to install it.

 

Got my engine cowling back with its exhaust blisters on it. Fellow did a top job of them. There are some good tradesmen still about if you can find them. I still think ICP should do a better job of the lower cowl in this respect.Presently fitting the cowling,a job that really has knobs on it. but as Riley said in his post it does look as though "it'll happen".

 

More useless info next time,

 

Bob

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Are you fitting your cowl on the outside…or doing it on the inside like the manual?….I fitted mine to the outside….It is much easier

 

 

[bobcharl]

Hi Mark,

 

Fitting it on the outside. Did look at fitting it inside but that looked like being a real nightmare, and made removal more difficult. Puzzles me how ICP can design 95% of the aircraft so well, but stuff up the other 5%.

 

Bob

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Hi Bob

 

Yes most have fitted to the outside…it is much easier to line up and to take on and off by yourself. This new replacement cowl on mine I used different cowl holders than the others I used…Camlocks this time..bit expensive but work really well just have to get the right size. I am lucky we have Ralph at ASAP up here right near the airfield..I measured what I thought the size should be but was wrong so he let me bring home different sizes to get them right…I am really happy with the way they came out

 

 

[rankamateur]

Hi BobYes most have fitted to the outside…it is much easier to line up and to take on and off by yourself. This new replacement cowl on mine I used different cowl holders than the others I used…Camlocks this time..bit expensive but work really well just have to get the right size. I am lucky we have Ralph at ASAP up here right near the airfield..I measured what I thought the size should be but was wrong so he let me bring home different sizes to get them right…I am really happy with the way they came out

Any pictures Mark, we need pictures!

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Yes well I post pictures…someone else here doesn't post pics of their build…people in glass houses you know steve hahahahahhah…..…….anyway I will take some pics and show you all when I get the cowl back from painting

 

 

[rankamateur]

Did you end up bubbling the new cowl around the exhaust or cut metal grillsd into it?

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

I like the look of the metal grill also it allows more air flow through around the engine hot bits. I have 2 holes cut on either side of the cowl and I will use the same grill as last time. It is stainless grill from a huge air filter of a D10 or something it is the grill on the outside of the filter will post some pics when the cowl is done

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Bob…waiting for clark rubber to call me they are all out of it…they sacked the supplier and are waiting for stock from a new supplier

 

 

[bobcharl]

Thanks Mark,

 

I wonder is there any chance of them getting it or should I go ahead and resurrect the old one?

 

Bob.

 

(Wasn't sure how to reply; hope you get it on this thread!)

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

They told me a week or 2 so maybe next week I will hear from them.

 

 

[dan tonner]

Hello Bob and Kyle;

 

Nothing like closing the gate after the horse is gone.

 

I couldn't help jumping in here after your exchange on Camloc fasteners for the cowling. A company in the USA called Milspec (good name!) has developed a series of adjustable receptacles that are designed for use with either Camloc - or their own - spring-loaded studs. The adjustment is in half-turn (.015"- .38 mm) increments and makes a near-perfect fit every time. The real beauty of the adjustable receptacle is that one size receptacle covers a .3" (7.5mm) range of different stud lengths - no need to have a huge variety of studs to choose from - and the receptacles can be readjusted - if necessary - afterwards.

 

Their website is: . I have ordered from the Florida company (Jeff, Jason and Josh) a couple of times and have found them prompt, courteous and good-to-their-word. I am not sure if there is a distributor in the Downunder or if the costs doing business from half- a world away are prohibitive.

 

I've attached some pictures of my cowling attachments ("inside- fitted" to the fuselage). The "wedges" tilted the receptacles to allow a perpendicular pull by the studs at the lower fuselage junctions with the cowling.

 

I really appreciate the great exchanges on recreationalflying.com.

 

Fly safely,

 

Dan

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

Now you tell me Dan :)

 

I have all mine fitted to the new cowl also those are very cheap I don't know if they would mail to Australia but if I am doing it again…build another I mean then I will chase them up thanks for the tip

 

Mark

 

 

[bobcharl]

Dan,

 

These fasteners certainly look to be the goods. I would have seriously considered them had I known about them at the time. The fact that they cope with a range of thicknesses is great.

 

Bob

 

 

[terryc]

The problem is the postage is more than the cost of the item, if you order 16 the postage is $126.00. I don't think so

 

 

[bobcharl]

Hi All,

 

Progress continues: wings, flaperons and cowl all painted, only the rego. numerals to be painted on the wing in the morning and painting is finished. what a red letter day that will be. The engine cowl fitted after lots of trials and errors, but I am quite happy with the way it has turned out. Still got my windscreen to do and then the three point door latches to go on and I am getting a few boxes ticked. Would post a pic of earlier progress while the wings were on but I am running a new windows program and I cannot work out how to resize the files. Hopefully next time.

 

Bob

 

 

[bobcharl]

Yeah terryc,

 

Not surprised, I have come up against this a few times.

 

Bob

 

 

[bobcharl]

Just to see if I can get a pic to post.This one from a little while ago.

 

Bob